Yaupon Tea Preparation | Best Ways to Brew Your Tea

Preparation Methods

A Tale of Three Preparation Methods

As with traditional tea, variations in flavor come from preparation methods: Fermenting, Oxidizing, Chopping, Drying, Roasting… There’s a whole lotta ways to make tea leaves taste great. And we’ve carefully selected three methods to share with you:

PEDERNALES GREEN

Clean and refreshing, our staple green yaupon celebrates the tranquility of the Pedernales river that flows over and around huge slabs of limestone, creating a safe space in which to relax and recharge. Enjoy it hot or cold brewed: You'll be refreshed and centered by the time its vibrant green hue turns earthy brown.

Our Pedernales Green Yaupon will taste similar to a Japanese green but since yaupon is tannin-free, it will be smooth and lack that astringency or bite.

LOST MAPLES MEDIUM ROAST

Smooth and mild, our medium roast yaupon is inspired by Lost Maples, a forest unlike any other in Texas. In the fall, the bigtooth maples along the Sabinal river, left over from the last Ice Age, don a magnificent array of colors echoed by the caramel notes in every cup.

Our Lost Maples Medium Roast Yaupon is going to most similar in taste to an oolong, smooth with subtle toasted notes.

MARFA DARK ROAST

Elegant and sophisticated, our traditional dark roast yaupon pays homage to the iconic West-Texas town of Marfa, where art & creativity converge. Naturally sweet and smooth, it’s a perfect balance, hot or iced, and tastes like a black tea.

Our Marfa Dark Roast Yaupon is going to most similar to a traditional black tea but smoother without the tannins. Subtle sweetness, toasted almond hints, and similar to a Japanese hojicha.

Brew Your Yaupon

We have a few favorite ways to brew yaupon to get you started toward your perfect cup:

HOT CUP OF YAUPON

Use a teaspoon of loose leaf yaupon or one yaupon pouch for each 14 oz cup of yaupon.
Pour hot water (just short of boiling) over the yaupon.
For each steep, here are our suggested boiling times:

First steep: 4-6 minutes
Second steep: 5-8 minutes
Third steep: 7-10 minutes
Fourth steep: 9-12 minutes centered by the time its vibrant green hue turns earthy brown.

ICED YAUPON

Add three yaupon pouches or 1 tablespoon of loose leaf yaupon to a pitcher (If making a concentrated brew for serving immediately, use 6 yaupon pouches or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf yaupon).
Add about 3/4 of a gallon of water and steep for 10 minutes.
Strain out the leaves and remove the yaupon pouches before placing the pitcher in the fridge.
Serve with lemon, mint, or orange.